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Its been week one of my not Gluten diet and I must say I am feeling better. It isn’t anecdotal either, I actually am feeling more like old self, more than I have in ages.

The first thing I have noticed is my head is clearer. Almost like a fog has begun to lift and my thoughts are coming into focus. For those that have never experienced such a feeling it is sort of like being not quite awake, you go through your day in a bit of daze, can’t make decisions, your thoughts are muddled, easily confused etc…. You know something not right but you are so confused and unfocused you really can’t tell what.

It is early days and I am curious to see what next week brings.

My measurements have reduced more than I have expected:

Hips: has gone from 128 cm to 123.5cm /48 inches

Waist: 113cm to 106cm /41 inches

Bust: 121cm to 113cm/44 inches

I have hoped on the scales all week and have instead enjoyed the shrinking tape measure.

Today I restarted my exercise program which will consist of a 30 minute walk/jog/walk, over slight undulating ground. Next week once my system has become accustom to this I step it up bit. But steady steps I think will be the go.

Those of you who know me personally will know a few years ago I had some sever Health issues.

Back in 2011 I had a Heart Attack followed by multiple Bi-passes. All very sudden and surprising because just two days earlier I had been given a clean bill of health by my doctor (needless to say had new doctor). For a year prior having been diagnosed with High Cholesterol, we monitored my diet, took the medication, exercised, and did everything I was told. My hubby was very diligent and if I strayed he put me back on track.

So with all my numbers in the excellent zone, the doctor happy etc I was given the all clear…

What nobody could tell me was why I had gained 10 kg in a year, even with a very healthy meat and vegetable low fat low sugar and low salt diet, why no matter what I did was it staying on and in deed multiplying, why I was constantly tired and my exercise ability had gone from 2 hrs a day to maybe 20 minutes if we were lucky. Then along a Heart Attack and there was part of the answer.

That was 3.5 years ago, my numbers are now great again, it appears my body makes to much cholesterol for my system to handle and it isnt in the food. However the weight is staying and there are a few other issues which seemed to have stemmed from the diet I was placed on to lower my cholesterol etc. The main change to my diet has been eat more, bread, cereals, no butters, animal fats, etc low fat milk and on it goes… I use to eat minimal bread and cereals, butter sure if I had bread, but that’s about it my only vice these days is cheese I really like my cheeses and well I do like my milk but in coffee.

Back to the story… I have always been around 80 kg so not small but not huge. This weight has been relatively stable, I struggled to loose any more than a kilo or two, but when I went on this “Healthy Diet” (the heart dietician recommended), I began to pack on the pounds, now after 3 years I am 94 kilos and cant seem to shake it. On top of this I have had a pain in between me shoulder blades, bloating, cramps, wind like you would not believe, nausea, travel sickness, constipation and on it goes.

Doctors had given me such advice gems as stop eating MacDonalds (the closest is 156 km away), you must be eating a lot of take away (the take away here was filthy), what do you do sit on the lounge all day (we had just returned for a 2 week bush camping trip etc) it was getting to the point I was ready to tell them all to get stuffed. Continue reading →

The world we live in today I see as an unnatural state for humanity. It is true we are tribal beings, a combination of pack and herd animals. The general split is in two groups leaders and their follower, the haves and have nots, Masters and their Serfs.

There is those who are neither, who are the thinkers, the creators, the dreamers and the inventors, the fringe dwellers. The majority of people are happy in the space they find themselves, but there is an increasing number of people who aren’t.

The Convenience of the city is alluring, the pace, the bright lights, the excitement, the availability of everything good, bad and indifferent. Huge numbers of people find their Sense of Place here among the like-minded, but many of us are finding it a shallow, unfriendly, uncaring, superficial space to inhabit. Others find issues in the Country the remoteness, inconvenience, lack of services, the nature of a small country town, all can be unexpected and leave the newcomer feeling excluded.

Motto of the 21st Century

Given the impracticability of climbing under a rock and waiting it out, the lack of a Sense of Place is leading to the rise of ‘The Grey Nomads’ retiree’s who sell up and buy a mobile home or caravan, the travellers who sell up grab their passport and go everywhere and the modern gypsy’s who just pack up and go. These are all examples of this growing discontent ‘Humanity is on the Move’.

Many of us feel lost, you can be lonely in room full of friends. So many people say they feel alienated, separate, an outsider, perhaps it is a ‘Sense of Place’, which is at the heart of the matter.

A sense of place means different things to each individual, but when you break it down to its core you find it is a need to belong, to feel a part of something, or just to be excepted. Continue reading →